Krista's Chronicles: The Beginning
by Zorana123
Summary: 19 year-old Krista was a normal citizen of Toad Town, but then her life was changed forever...
1. Chapter 1: A Big Day Ahead

"Alright, that should about do it." I stood in the mirror looking at the outfit I had planned. Just a long sleeved navy blue dress and a lavender ribbon keeping my hair up. "Not exactly up to standards with other girls here, but it'll do," I said to myself while examining my look from different angles.

This was a very big day for everyone. Or at least, everyone concerned about the fate of the Mushroom was the day they pick a new princess to rule over everyone. Our ruler, Queen Toadstool V, is dying of an illness, and has no heir to take the throne in her stead. Now all human girls aged 18-20 are required to attend some sort of interview to determine whether they're worthy or not.

Even as I speak, all of the citizens are fretting over their queen, and wondering who will become the princess. The whole town has been in crisis ever since the news about the Queen's sickness was spoken of to the public. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls are squealing with excitement, confident they'll be chosen. I guess when it comes to this type of stuff, girls everywhere would completely disregard something as dire as the Queen dying.

I wasn't so sure about being chosen myself, but then again, living in a large castle and having that big of a responsibility on my hands is really not my lifestyle.

I walked out of my house, and was greeted with a cool breeze and the sun shining on all of Toad Town. Nobody else was around, so I assumed that the other girls were busy getting ready and trying to look their very best. Can't say I blame them, because in a town where every girl is raised to be all prim and proper and all that sissy stuff, it's pretty much expected. Didn't work on me, that's for sure.

I walked down the street, looking for a single girl that might have been around. I went over to the plaza and sat on a bench while staring at the birds flying gracefully around the castle. Here, I decided to think a little more about how these events would unfold. I knew I wouldn't be chosen, not by a longshot. There's seriously no way I could live up to the great rulers of the past. But, why am I so nervous if I knew I wouldn't be crowned princess? Was it the fact that I'm gonna be in an interview? I mean, anyone would be nervous at that. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was something else though. Is there a slight chance I could be chosen? Will the new princess somehow screw everything up? Or..will the Koopa army suddenly invade and cause another-

"Agh! No, no, snap out of it, Krista," I muttered to myself, the horrible memories already coming back...

After what seemed like hours I finally saw someone coming to the plaza. A blonde-haired girl wearing a glittery red dress and a white headband with a red flower on it. It was my best friend, Rose.

"Hey, Krista! I knew I'd find you here!" Rose shouted as she ran over to me.

"I do this every morning, of course you'd know," I said.

Rose and I have been best friends since we were really little. There probably wasn't a single day where we didn't see each other. Well, maybe because she had grown way too attached to me. She'd never leave me alone, even on those days where I really didn't want her messing with me. But, at the same time, having her around has cheered me up a lot.

Also, she has these mysterious powers that allow her to heal people as long as she has enough energy. She didn't learn how to use it until a few years ago, but it has proved useful in the past. Yeah, we don't exactly live boring lives, and we actually have gotten into some dangerous situations. So, she's probably a big reason I've managed to survive.

Rose looked a little concerned, more than usual. "Are you alright? You look pretty pale." I replied, "Oh, it's nothing, just a little nervous about today." Judging by the look on her face, Rose seemed like the exact opposite. She was practically jumping for joy when they said they would be picking a new princess. Not for the same reasons as everyone else, though, she actually wanted to take on the responsibility of being a princess, which meant helping others and guiding everyone through tough times. At least, that's what I hear her say every day. Either way, she probably knows what being a princess is all about.

"I have to say, Rose, you look wonderful," I complimented. Blushing, she replied, "Oh, stop it, you look pretty dashing yourself!" I chuckled and raised and eyebrow. "What, in these rags? You know me, I can't even dress properly." Rose laughed. "Come now, don't you know that looks has nothing to do with being a princess?"

I stared at her in her fancy outfit, realizing how hypocritical that sounded.

"Honestly, Krista, I think you have as good of a chance as I do at becoming the princess. I mean, don't you know how many people in this town adore you? More than me, in fact."

It's true, I had many admirers, for some reason. I guess people like a socially awkward person such as myself.

"Well, the thing is, I don't exactly have the makings of a princess like you do, Rose. I'm lazy, absent-minded, kind of stupid, the list goes on. You're probably the most princess-like person I know." Rose knew I was trying hard to flatter her at this point, and merely giggled. "I know you can take the throne, it'll be a matter of time before everyone is cheering your name!"

"Pshh, like that's gonna happen." We heard a voice from nearby. A young man with brown hair wearing a black shirt and jeans was sitting against one of the buildings.

"And just how long have you been sitting there, Malcolm?" Rose asked, irritated by his mere presence. "A while. I see you're as annoyingly enthusiastic as usual," he responded. Rose scoffed and turned her back on him.

I've known Malcolm almost as long as I've known Rose, but didn't really see him as often. He's something of a drifter, always out exploring the town or the forest, and generally doing pretty much nothing. He's pretty laid-back most of the time, and tends to answer to most problems with a smile.

When we were young, Malcolm had somewhat of a crush on me. We were going through some very tough times back then, and we made a promise to each other that one day, we could get married and go someplace far away. We could have been children back then, but even to this day, we haven't broken that promise.

Rose on the other hand, didn't really like him as much. They would often argue with each other, but Malcolm still says that he admires her without her knowing.

I turned to Malcolm and asked, "What are you even doing here?" Malcolm stared at me for a moment without responding, probably trying to figure out why he came here in the first place. "I take it you're here to see us off or something?"

"You could say that," he replied. He crossed his arms. "Still, everyone else is acting like this is some big exciting event when the Queen is literally dying, and the whole kingdom is in peril, unless, what, they pick some random girl to rule over everyone?" Malcolm has been saying that this is a dumb idea from the start, even though he was aware that there's pretty much no other option.

"I know it may not make much sense to you, but hey, we live in a world where mushrooms are walking and talking. If that's not weird, I don't know what is," I said. Malcolm nodded in agreement as he looked at the castle. "To be honest, I don't think I would even be here if the whole thing was optional." Truth is, I really wouldn't.

We were all so caught up in our conversation that we didn't realize that a bunch of other girls had already gathered in the plaza. They were making Malcolm feel a little awkward, so he decided to leave. "Welp, I'm off. Good luck, future princess," he said teasingly to Rose. Then he ran off to god knows where.

"Oohh, I can't stand him!" Rose yelled, her face turning red. "Calm down, Rose. Just be glad that he has a crush on me and not you," I reassured. She calmed down and said, "Yeah, you're right. He'd be much more unbearable if he was like that!" We both laughed, and then we heard a voice coming from the castle.

"Attention, ladies! You may now enter the castle, and we will interview you one by one. We will decide which one of you will be the princess when we're finished!" A Lakitu was floating around the castle speaking through a microphone.

In an instant, everyone was rushing to the castle, nearly trampling me and Rose. We ran behind everyone else once we realized what was going on. We didn't say much on the way, but I could see the excitement on Rose's face. Seeing the huge castle before me, I said to myself, "Okay, let's get this over with."


	2. Chapter 2: The Interview

Everyone was sitting in an enormous ballroom with tables put out. The walls were decorated with all kinds of ribbons, paintings of past rulers, among other things. Rose and I were sitting at a table alone while all the other girls were just chatting it up.

"You know, I didn't expect there to be so many people in here," I said, looking around the fancy room. Rose replied, "Well, I heard that there were girls from other locations as well, not just Toad Town." It's true, even though they weren't exactly required to attend, some girls came from places outside of Toad Town. "Watch, we might get some girl from Moo Moo Meadows to be the princess," I slightly joked. Rose laughed and said, "Well, this amount of girls is still more than I expected. Especially after..y'know-"

"ROSE! Stop talking!" I covered up her mouth before she could say anything else. Rose looked at me, flustered, as my face was sweating. "What's your problem?!" Her face just basically said everything that was wrong with me. "It's just.. I don't like it when people talk about that," I said, stammering.

Sadly, what Rose was talking about.. It's never been able to leave my mind.

Fifteen years ago, when I was very young, a great war ensued, caused by the king of the Koopas himself. It was a horrific battle that nearly wiped out the entire human race, which sort of explained why we expected there to be less girls in here. My father was one of the people who fought in the war, as he wanted to avenge the death of his wife, and to protect me. I had to stay with my grandfather, who guided me through those dark times with his kindness and wisdom. It was just about the toughest time ever for me, Rose, and even Malcolm.

I still haven't gotten over it, though. I still remember the devastation I went through when the news came about my father's death. I still remember everyone's misery as their loved ones were fighting a bloody battle. But, the only good thing I can remember was the end of the war, when our queen spoke to everyone, including the Koopa army, about how we shouldn't keep fighting like this and that we need to keep peace. That seemed to end it. For now, at least.

The only thought going through my head since then was that someone is bound to start it again.

Suddenly, my attention was turned to door leading to the interview when they called out Rose's name. Rose immediately jumped up from her chair and ran over to the door before I could have a chance to wish her good luck.

I sat there, alone, noticing that all the fanciness in this room was really starting to hurt my eyes. By this point, not even a quarter of the girls were finished, and it was sucking up all my time. _"I'm gonna be in here forever,"_ I thought.

After a while, Rose emerged from the door, jumping with joy. "So? How did it go," I asked. Rose, beaming, responded, "I think I may have won them over!"

"Right, so, meet me over at the plaza when I'm done, Ok?" I suggested. Rose nodded and walked out of the castle.

Well, just me again. I was praying that they would call me up soon so I can just go home and take a nap.

They wouldn't, though. They called girl after girl after girl, but I'm still sitting here. It felt like days, to be honest. This was probably the longest I've ever had to wait for anything. Even longer than I was waiting for that war to end..

I started to feel a little drowsy after a long period of time passed. Just a little less than half the girls remained. God, how much longer did I have to wait? The room was almost empty, but they still didn't call me up_. "Maybe I can probably sleep for a while, that'll pass some time,"_ I thought to myself. I slammed my head against the table and then drifted off.

It only felt like a few seconds before I was completely knocked out, but suddenly, I heard someone shouting my name.

I bolted out of my chair, and I saw the room around me.. was completely empty. Am I really the last girl to be interviewed? Was I asleep for a few hours instead of a few seconds? I was startled and a little confused, but I entered the room where that person was calling me.

The room was small, and painted a pinkish color. My interviewer was a brownish Toad with a black mustache, wearing a red and gold vest.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Krista."

I sat in the chair I was instructed to sit in. "Thank you. And you are?" The old Toad pushed his glasses up. "They call me Toadsworth," he answered as he shook my hand. I took a small breath, hoping this wouldn't last very long.

"Alright, first things first, tell me a little bit about yourself." I scrambled my mind looking for a single thing I could say. "Well, I'm not like other girls, that's for sure," I responded. Toadsworth was writing the girls' responses in a notepad. He asked, "Well, how so?" This was a pretty easy answer. "I'm just not used to being all proper and everything. I was raised by my grandfather the majority of my life, while everyone had at least one woman in their household." Toadsworth looked at me in confusion. "Were your parents involved in that dreaded war by any chance?"

_Dammit, I was really hoping he wouldn't bring that up. _"Y-yes. My mother was taken prisoner and killed early on, and then my father left me with my grandfather to go fight. And.. he didn't make it alive." Toadsworth could hear the sadness in my voice. "I see. And what of your grandfather? Is he still alive?" I gave a grim look at him. "No, he passed away a few years ago. He was nearly a hundred years old when he died." Toadsworth looked intrigued. "Well, such an old man must have had a ton of wise words to share! Is there anything he taught you growing up?"

This is a very important question, I'm sure. I made sure not to screw it up. "Yes, he taught me how to fight for myself, and for others. He also taught me the importance of having no enemies, and that all people are good at heart. But, the thing he said the most was just this statement: Friends are like family. But, honestly, that's the only thing I haven't been able to understand yet."

Toadsworth seemed more and more interested as I went on. "Well, I'm sure you grandfather wants you to learn that for yourself," he replied. I nodded and said, "He did tell me a lot more than that, but I don't want to bore you by saying too much." The old Toad chuckled, and continued through his list of questions he had for me. "What do you think makes a worthy princess?"

I couldn't think of anything on the top of my head. There were so many things that, in my opinion, make a good princess. _Hmm, maybe I'll go with that answer. _"Well, I think that a princess can have numerous good qualities. Like, being wise, for example. And kind, and strong, and able to manage her kingdom."

Toadsworth was writing vigorously on his notepad. "Alright, and what do you think the most important thing a princess can do is?"

With that, I suddenly started thinking of what the Queen did at the end of that war…

"I think.. that a princess can be a symbol of hope for everyone. She can make people smile through tough times. She lets everyone know that everything would be ok. That's what the Queen did long ago to end the fighting, right? She could speak to her enemies with warmth and nobility." Toadsworth looked very pleased, as if that was pretty much the best answer to that question. "Well, I must say, Krista, I haven't seen or heard a girl like you in a while. You must truly know what it takes to be a great ruler," he complimented. I suddenly had a wide grin on my face. This was not what I was expecting to hear out of him.

Toadsworth closed the notepad and said, "Alright, I think we're just about done here."

"Wait, that's all there was?!" I was pretty surprised, I thought there was gonna be much more than that. "Yes, that's it. We should be able to choose the new princess within a few days," he replied. "..Ok, I guess I should be heading out, right?" I asked. Toadsworth looked at me and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Krista. Cheerio."

I stood up and waved goodbye to him, and then left. _Heh, that really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be._

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, first time using author's notes! I'm really liking how this is turning out so far. My writing could be less repetitive, but hey, I'm just starting out. I also have another chapter ready that was going to be part of this one, but it was a little too long, so you can expect that shortly. Also, that Pokemon fanfic I was writing will continue soon, but this is my focus for now. Until then, enjoy!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Malcolm

I did what I said I was going to do after I left and went to go look for Rose in the plaza. She was sitting on the same bench we were sitting on this morning, now changed into a standard red shirt. "Rose, I'm back!" I shouted. Rose ran to me and asked me how everything went. I told her everything, though it wasn't much.

"So, he really liked your answers, huh?" Rose seemed pretty overjoyed now that I had said that it wasn't so bad. "Yeah, he said that I might have a shot," I said while taking my ribbon out, releasing my long, jet black hair. "Y'know, I think you would make a wonderful princess!" Rose didn't notice the despondent look I had on my face. "Yeah, well, the truth is.. I don't WANT to become princess."

"Oh, quit fooling around, I'm sure it's just pressure," comforted Rose. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Actually, Rose, I'm being serious. You would make a much better princess Don't you have the ability to heal people and other magical powers or something to defend the citizens?" Rose shook her head at what I was saying. "Come on, you know that has nothing to do with being a princess, right? I can just use these powers normally, and perhaps protect the actual princess," she was referring to me, I guess.

"I don't exactly think she'd need any help from someone like you." We turned to see Malcolm sitting on the sidewalk again.

"MALCOLM! How many times am I gonna catch you spying on us?!" Rose was shaking her fist at him. Malcolm frowned and said, "Well EXCUUUSE me for having the appearance and accidental, not to mention awesome skills of a ninja!" I was laughing at just how stupid these two sounded. "Honestly, Krista, I cannot believe you hang out with him, much less plan to MARRY him of all things," Rose scolded. "Hey, calm down. I know you've got some thorns and all, but you really shouldn't judge a girl for her feelings for a guy such as myself," Malcolm commented. He was always defending me for no reason every time Rose said something like that to me. "Yeah, thanks for that, Malcolm," I said sarcastically.

"So, anyway, how'd the interviews go?" Malcolm asked. I almost forgot to tell him everything. But before I could say anything, Rose said, "Well, let's just say that I have as good of a chance as any to become princess!" Malcolm laughed at her. "Really now? Weren't you just saying that Krista has a better shot?" Rose's face turned beet red. "Well, you only know that because you were spying on us!" She raised her palm and slapped him in the face. "Geez! What the hell was that for? You know, if you plan on becoming the princess, you're not off to a good start!"

I got in the middle of them and shouted, "You guys, stop it! This is no time to be fighting!" Rose finally calmed down and said, "Well, I guess I might as well leave you two lovebirds alone."

"Oh come on, Rose, don't leave!" I begged. Rose turned back at me and reassured me, "Don't worry, I'll see you tomorrow! I've got to go help my grandmother with something anyway."

"Ok, I guess. See ya!" We waved to each other, then she turned around and left.

"Ugh, thank God! I thought she'd never leave," Malcolm said, rubbing the red hand mark on his face. Chuckling, I said, "Well you know how clingy she is." Malcolm nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Malcolm and I walked on the streets while I told him about my interview. "Huh, so you might actually have a shot at it?" I nodded. "And if I become the princess, who knows? You might have a chance to become the king." Malcolm's face grew bitter at the thought. "I thought we said we would get married and move to a different place, like you kept blabbing about," he said. "Teehee! Relax, I was only kidding," I responded.<p>

"Besides, Rose is definitely gonna be picked, I just know it. Having those awesome powers and being princess material is a pretty good combination." Malcolm shook his head. "You're half right."

We stopped walking when we reached the end of the street, where my house was. "Krista," Malcolm began, "are you sure that Rose becoming the princess is best for the Mushroom Kingdom?" I thought that maybe he was just disapproving of my opinion because of his supposed hatred towards her. After some silence I asked, "And what if I do?" Malcolm hesitated before he could answer. "In truth, I think it would be good for the kingdom, but at the same time, it could be the worst thing in the world." I stared at him for a brief moment. "Why do you think that?"

Malcolm stared at the sun setting over the kingdom. "Well, you already know that the people of this kingdom are, for the most part, pure-hearted people with nothing wrong with them. However… there are lots of people outside our kingdom that seek one thing, and one thing only." I asked, "And what's that?" Malcolm answered, "Power. And lots of it. They'd stop at nothing to get it. Even if it means killing everyone in their path." I could already tell that what he was saying was not good, judging by the serious look on his face.

Malcolm turned back to me before continuing. "Do you realize what could happen if the king of the Koopas, or any evil outsiders for that matter, realized that our own princess has incredible powers such as Rose's?"

I didn't want to hear the answer to that, but I kinda had to. "What would happen?"

"Another war could be waged. An endless cycle of innocents dying left and right. So much blood would be shed over one girl."

I was instantly reminded of the war before, and how similar it sounds when Malcolm describes it. But this.. this sounded worse.

"Well, can't Rose just defend herself?" I asked. Malcolm's face told me no. "That's another problem. Since she would be the princess, everyone would be fearing for her safety rather than their own, causing more people to needlessly die."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I realized that there hasn't been a ruler like that in a long time, and that things have been less hostile than from what I've read from the history books. That must've been the sole reason, and if it were to happen again… _Ngh, I can't bear the thought of it._

The sun had just set, and Malcolm and I stood there in the deafening silence. "Krista, I'm only telling you this to let you know what could come out of this. A first-timer princess could be very vulnerable against an army like the Koopas. If the kingdom were to be attacked with Rose in charge, one of two things could happen: One, they'd be out to kill her so that no one can defend the citizens, or two, they would try to manipulate her powers and use it for their own selfish need." I wanted to cry at just the thought of my best friend getting killed, or her being used like that.

"I'm also telling you this because I fear for your safety, and, loathe as I am to say it, Rose's as well." I was shocked that he said that. "Malcolm, this is a side of you I've never seen before," I exclaimed.

The sky grew darker and darker as Malcolm and I stood, not saying another word. Finally, Malcolm yawned and said, "Well, I should be heading home."

"Malcolm, wait," I said as I ran up to him. "..Thanks for always being there for me and Rose." Malcolm flashed a quick smile and said, "No problem. Later." Then he disappeared in the darkness.

With that, the thought occurred to me that I should probably go ahead and call it a day. And what a day it was, too.I walked into my own house, and, without even changing my clothes, I jumped onto my bed, happy to finally relax after such a long and hard day.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, same mistake I made last time, I split up some chapters because I made them too long. But the good news is, you get three chapters at once! (Yay to all you two people who actually care!)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: The Voice

An hour had passed, and I still haven't been able to fall asleep. I was laying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, not moving a muscle. I assumed it was all these thoughts going through my brain that were preventing me from sleeping.

I decided to take a little walk in the woods to calm my nerves. I crept along the sides of the town and slipped into the forest that me, Rose and Malcolm used to go to all the time as kids. Beyond the seemingly endless sea of trees lied a large open space with a huge lake in the middle. _Heh, that's where I first learned how to swim._ There was also a big willow tree right beside it, which made for a good place to sit down and relax. _That sounds pretty good right about now._

I sat down and put my head in my hands, listening to the sounds of crickets and owls. I was trying really hard to put my mind at ease, but to no avail. This day was very stressful, but I was particularly thinking about what Malcolm was telling me earlier. The sad thing is, I agree with most of what he says. There are terrible people beyond our kingdom, those who strive only to become more powerful than anything else. Even now, I keep envisioning all the violence and death that Malcolm said.. might actually happen.

_Oh, God..please..no.._ I was practically in tears at the mere thought of reliving that war again. But this time, it wouldn't be our lives, or the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom hanging in the balance, but possibly the whole world…

I just came here to try and meditate my mind, but instead I'm only making things worse.

But then, I looked up at the sky.

The night sky had a new moon, but it was filled with countless stars as far as the eye could see. They illuminated the night more than any moon could. It was such a beautiful sight.

That's when I was reminded of the legend of the Star Spirits.

As a child, my grandfather told me about the Star Spirits, and how they watch over our world in Star Haven. The legends said that the Star Spirits have the ability to grant wishes for people who believed hard enough. They also had something called a Star Rod, which grants wishes at will to anyone who wields it.

They say that the Star Spirits are almost just like the rulers of the Mushroom Kingdom, in that they can give hope to everyone. The only difference is, you can't really see them, but the stars always remind you that they're there. In fact, I heard that the Queen always prays to the Star Spirits, which gives them the will to help her people and guide them all, something that all Queens do.

Suddenly, all of my worries went away. My mind was as clear as the lake in front of me. At last, I was at peace.

For what seemed like a long time, I stared at the stars in the sky, thinking that the Star Spirits were watching over me. I could almost hear them telling me that everything was going to be alright. I stared, and stared, until my eyes started to slowly close, and I fell asleep.

Some time later…

* * *

><p>I woke up to the sound of ravens loudly cawing in the skies. <em>How long was I sleeping?<em> I looked back at the sky, but the stars were no longer there. I'm guessing that some clouds rolled in and covered them up. The bad thing is, now I can't see anything in front of me. Regardless, I got up, and tried to navigate from where I came from. _I'll go this way._ I thought as I pointed south.

The air was windy, and cold. The crickets and owls continued to be noisy as usual. There was no light at all, I was in complete darkness. And I was walking blindly through the trees, tripping on nearly everything.

_Why did I have to fall asleep? I can't see a damn thing!_

Without warning, the ravens from earlier started to flock around me when I couldn't see them. "Aah! Stop it, get away from me!" I flailed my arms around in the hopes of scaring them off. They eventually left, but not before I threw a rock at them.

I came to a stop after a while. This was completely hopeless, I wasn't gonna get back at this rate. I should've just stayed at that lake and waited until morning instead of wandering off. Plus, I had the feeling I was going the wrong way.

_This is just great. How will I get home now?_

That's when everything got quiet. The ravens stopped cawing, and the crickets and owls stopped making noises. The air became completely still. Nothing but darkness all around me.

And I was all alone.

It was dreadful, a silence that could strike fear in the hearts of even the bravest of men. I was just hoping that the sun would rise soon and illuminate my surroundings. The stars weren't there, but I still believed that the Star Spirits were still there, at least.

_I just have to let them give me hope.._

But then my body was frozen stiff when a sinister laughter filled the entire forest.

I stood, unable to take another step, refusing to turn my head to see who that was. It was a powerful laugh, the only thing I heard throughout this cursed silence.

Finally, I came back to my senses. _Must've been my imagination._

I trudged along the path I was walking on, when I suddenly heard the laugh again. This time, I turned around, but there was no one there. Fearing that I must be losing my mind, I shook it off. But then, the same voice called my name.

"Krista.."

I turned and turned sporadically, but there was no one to be seen. But now I knew that the voice was directed towards me. "Who's there?! And how do you know my name?!"

"Soon, Krista… you will become one with darkness…"

I backed away, hoping that this was all a dream. "Where are you?! WHO are you?!"

The voice followed with a laugh more terrifying than the last, as if it was trying to scare me.

I had to run.

Without a second thought, I took off into the woods. I blindly ran into sharp branches and thorns, scratching up my skin and catching my hair. I eventually got my dress caught in one of the branches. I struggled to get it unstuck, but I couldn't escape. I ended up ripping the bottom of it, leaving my legs vulnerable. Regardless, I kept going.

I continued to run deeper into the woods, where the ravens attacked me again. This time they were trying to hurt me instead of just flying around me. They pecked me and scratched me with their sharp talons. "GET AWAY!" My screams of pain went unheard, and the voice kept laughing at my suffering.

This forest is trying to kill me.

The ravens finally went away, leaving me lying on the ground, drenched in blood.

"Try all you can, Krista. You cannot escape me.."

I stood up and tried to run again, but I had no energy left. I was injured, cold, and frightened. All hope I previously had magically disappeared from all of this.

I tried in vain to at least get somewhere, but had no success. "Someone, please, help me.."

The voice cackled again, startling me.

"You still don't get it, do you? There's no one who can save you."

I finally answered to the wicked voice. "Maybe not, but I can save myself." Indeed, I was determined to find my way out of this neverending darkness.

Suddenly, something illuminated the area. A blue-ish light was in front of me. It was dim, but bright enough to light my way. I weakly made my way over to the source of the light. It was strangely hypnotic, but it was what I needed after what seemed like hours of darkness.

But then I tripped, and fell into what looked like a ditch. I couldn't move, I just lied there, and the surface felt like needles.

_That voice.. this is probably its doing._

The voice laughed once more, before saying, "See, I told you so."

I closed my eyes, patiently awaiting death.

**Whew! Finally, I can catch a break. I almost feel like Krista in this chapter O_O**

**But, nevertheless I hope you liked what I consider my best chapter so far.**


	5. Chapter 5: Nothing's the Same

_Nothing. I felt nothing. I looked around to see if there was someone around who could help me. There was no one. I felt fine, though. No injuries on me at all._

_"Is..this what death feels like?" I thought._

_Suddenly, a mysterious figure appeared in front of me. A black haired woman with a white dress._

_"M-Mother?"_

_My mother drew closer to me, and then put her hand on my face, wiping the tears from my eyes._

_"Don't cry, Krista. It's going to be alright."_

_She turned around and walked away, vanishing._

_"No, wait, Mother, don't go! Don't leave me!" I cried out, but she didn't answer. She was gone._

_"Mother?! MOTHER!"_

* * *

><p>"Don't leave!" I shot up from the bed I was sleeping on, struggling to catch my breath.<p>

I was in a small room, with nothing but a window and a portrait of what looked like a Goomba family. The light coming through the window was blinding to my eyes, as I was so used to being in complete darkness. "Hello? Is anybody in here?" Once again, no answer.

I looked in a nearby mirror and realized what a bad condition I was in. There were scratches and bruises all over me, twigs in my hair, and my dress was reduced to the length of a miniskirt. But, there were also bandages on some of my wounds, so that's something at least. There had to be someone in here, they probably saved me from that ditch I fell in. I looked at the wall and noticed a backpack, headlight, and pickaxe right next to the door. _I guess whoever saved me was using them?_

I headed to the door to try and find out what was going on. I opened it, but then someone bumped into me.

"Oh, hey, you're finally awake!" A red Toad wearing a brownish-orange vest was standing in front of me.

I, too, was very happy to actually see someone for once. "Are you the one who saved me?" I asked.

The Toad nodded and said, "Yup, me and one of my partners found you lying in some sort of ditch. We saw that you were badly injured and decided to help you. Luckily, the Goombas in this village were nice enough to help us out, so we put you in this abandoned house for you to recover."

_I guess I'm in Goomba village then._

"Everyone here was really worried about you! You were out for almost a week!"

_What? A week? Was I really unconscious for that long?_

"What's your name anyway?" The Toad asked.

I spaced out for a second. "Krista. And you?"

"I'm Captain Toad of the Toad Brigade, and royal guard to the princess!" He answered with great pride.

_A royal guard? Did the princess really hire a Toad just half my height as a royal guard?_

_Oh, crap! I nearly forgot! Who was chosen as the princess?! This is really bad…_

I decided to avoid any weird questions for now. "Well, thanks for saving me, but I really need to head back to Toad Town."

He looked at me, confused. "You came from Toad Town? How come I've never seen you around before?" I thought that maybe this Toad Brigade he mentioned became the royal guard in the time that was blacked out. "Um, I was gone for a while, so maybe I missed quite a bit during that time."

"Well, if you did, you missed a LOT!" He exclaimed. "I think we should go ahead and get back to Toad Town. I'm sure you feel very homesick!"

"Yeah, we really should." I opened the door when yet another Toad came in.

"Hey, watch where you're—Oh, you're awake!" This time it was a green Toad.

"Oh, so you're the other one who helped me?" I asked.

The green Toad replied, "Yeah, the Captain and I were on some sort of expedition when we found you in the forest."

Captain Toad then smacked his forehead and said, "Oh, wait! We were also supposed to head back after the expedition, weren't we?!

"Yes, we were! Oh, man, the other Toads are gonna be SO mad at us!" The two Toads looked worried to death.

"Well, hey, I'm awake, now, and I need to go back too, so how about we get going?" I removed the bandages, as I really didn't need them anymore.

Captain Toad nodded and said, "You're right! Green Toad, grab your pickaxe and let's go!"

The Green Toad made a salute sign and shouted, "Aye aye, Captain!"

The Green Toad grabbed his pickaxe, and Captain Toad grabbed the backpack and headlight.

"Hey, do you always call each other by your colors?" I asked the Green Toad.

"Well, everyone except the Captain. But sometimes we call him Red Toad just to bother him," The Green Toad responded. "Isn't that right, Red Toad?"

"That's CAPTAIN Toad to you!"

"Whatever, Red Toad."

I laughed at these two. _I think I'm really gonna like this adventure._

We all walked out of the house where the Goombas greeted us.

"Hey, Captain Toad, is that girl alright?" A Goomba with a blue cap ran up to us.

"Yup, don't worry about her, Goombario, she's just fine!"

"Wow, really?" The young Goomba looked at me. "It's very nice to meet you miss," he greeted.

"Thanks. My name's Krista. Your name is Goombario, right?" I responded. "Yeah, I'm named after the great Mario!"

_Mario? I don't know anyone by the name of that…_

"So, what happened that caused you to get hurt so badly?" Goombario asked, curious.

"Oh, yeah, I never thought about that, how DID you end up in that ditch?" Green Toad eyed me suspiciously.

I didn't want to tell the full details of what happened that night because I thought they wouldn't believe me. "Umm… I was being chased by ravens and didn't see where I was going, so I tripped and fell into a ditch and passed out." That seemed legit enough.

"Ooh, ouch." Everyone clinched their teeth.

Goombario smiled at me. "Well, at least you're alright now."

"Goombariooo!" A younger female Goomba was calling out to him.

Goombario groaned. "Hold on, I'll be right there, sis!" He turned back to us. "Well, I gotta get going. Good luck guys! Be sure to come back and visit!" Then he ran off to what I assumed was his sister. The Toads and I waved goodbye and made our way into the forest.

* * *

><p>The woods seemed so much more peaceful than what I experienced the other night. The birds were singing cheerfully, bugs were hopping and flying around, and the sun shone brilliantly, bathing the area in many different shades of green. This was a lot better than being all alone in the dark.<p>

While we were walking, the two Toads were conversing about their exploration mission.

"So, what should we tell everyone when we get back?" Green Toad asked. Captain Toad scratched his head. "Dunno, we didn't really see anything important on this mission now that I think about it." They both thought a moment before they said anything else. Then I broke the silence. "Maybe you should just tell them that nothing big is going on." They seemed to agree. "Yeah, things have been really slow as of late," Green Toad commented. Captain Toad beamed, "At least our fellow citizens won't have to worry about any invasions, especially with Mario there to protect everyone!"

There's that name again. Now I was really curious. "Pardon me asking, but, who is Mario?"

They both looked at me, shocked. "How could you NOT know who Mario is?!"

I was a little surprised, they seemed almost angry with me. "I'm sorry, I just never really heard the name before," I said, making the 'I surrender' position.

"You LIVE in the very town, the very KINGDOM he defends on a daily basis!"

_My God. Just how long WAS I out?_

There was some awkward silence after that. Green Toad said with a calmer voice, "You know, maybe she hit her head while falling, and it gave her amnesia."

Captain Toad looked at Green Toad before replying. "Yeah, maybe that's it."

I gave a nervous look at them both. "Um, y-yeah, that may be the answer! Heh.."

* * *

><p>We continued through the forest when we came across some more Goombas. Out of nowhere, the Toads shrieked and hid behind me.<p>

Annoyed, I asked, "What are you guys so afraid of? It's just some Goombas." I was even more confused by the fact that we just conversed with them in Goomba Village.

"No, you don't understand, those Goombas are loyal to the terrible King of the Koopas," Captain Toad said, pointing at them.

_Since when did Goombas side with the Koopas..?_

I shook my head. "Come on, there's no way these things can be that threatening."

Green Toad tried to convince me otherwise. "They may not be strong on their own, but together, they're terrifyingly strong!"

There was no way I was gonna convince these two that there was nothing to worry about. For the Princess's royal guard, they seemed pathetic as hell.

That's when I got an idea. I whispered, "How about this, I'll distract them and you guys sneak behind the trees over there."

They looked up at me, concerned. "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

I nodded. "Trust me, I'm actually a very good fighter."

They looked at each other, as if saying, _"Is she really gonna go through with this?"_

They finally agreed. "Ok, just be careful," Captain Toad said while he and Green Toad took off.

I took a deep breath before saying, "Ok, let's do this."

The leader turned its head over to me once I got near them. "Hey, you!"

I smirked at him. "Yes?"

The other Goombas gathered around their leader. There must have been about a dozen of them.

"What are you doing here? We're patrolling the area." They must have thought I was just a random girl walking around the forest.

I answered, "Oh, nothing."

Their leader looked pretty pissed. "Well, unless you have any business with the Koopa King, I suggest you leave."

I laughed at them, angering them even more. "Yeah, I don't really give a crap about that guy," I said with a cocky tone.

The leader's face was turning red. "How dare you insult our King!"

Another Goomba spoke. "Yeah, if you've got a problem with our awesome King, you've got a problem with us, too!"

The Goombas started to draw closer to me, ready to attack. "I'll give you one last warning, leave now, or suffer the consequences," the leader hissed.

"Not before I do THIS!" I followed with a roundhouse kick, sending the leader straight into a huge tree.

The other Goombas ran to him to make sure he was alright.

"Captain, speak to us, dude!" He looked dizzy, but he managed to get back up to his feet.

"Ugh.. looks like this brat means business. Goombas! Prepare for battle!" The Goombas grouped together, gritting their fangs at me.

"Pshh, what are you gonna do to me? Make me laugh until I lose all oxygen?" I was starting to have fun with this, it was kinda hilarious. Yeah, I have a sick mind.

Their leader glared. "What can we do to you? I'LL show you what we can do to you!"

He then preceded to do a series of poses, which, I guess is supposed to signal something. Either that or he's just acting stupid.

"Assume the position!" The leader jumped at least ten feet in the air.

"You've got it, sir!" The rest of them followed his order and stacked on top of each other. The leader landed on top of them, forming a tower.

_Well, shit._

The leader looked down on me. "Now, you will suffer for disrespecting the King!"

They started to charge towards me as I stood completely still.

"Krista! No!" The Toads were shouting from a distance.

_Green Toad was right, these guys ARE more powerful in a group._

I wasn't worried, I knew how to handle situations like this. "Don't worry, I've got this!"

I clenched my fists and prepared to strike. They drew closer and closer, as more sweat poured from my face. Even if I screwed up, I was ready to take the attack, regardless of whether I was gonna die or not.

But then, a massive burst of energy emanated from my body, striking them and sending them flying all over the forest.

Neither I, nor the Toads could believe what just happened. I stared at my hands, a blue aura surrounding them.

The Toads ran up to me. "Holy wow, Krista! That was incredible!" They were both shouting, and I couldn't make out what they were saying.

I was still in shock, and didn't respond. _That's… that's never happened before…_

While the Toads were still jumping around, I started to notice something weird. There were no Goombas in the Koopa army, it was mostly made up of a lot of the Koopa species you would normally see. I never heard of this... 'Mario' the Toads and Goombario were speaking of. And, surprisingly, nobody was talking about the new princess. Even the forest had a different vibe to it. Or maybe that was just me.

"Krista? Hey, Krista! Can you hear us?!"

I broke out of my trance. "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"

"We were asking you why you never told us about those powers!" Captain Toad was amazed, but also seemed really confused. I could say the same about myself.

"…I don't even know where I got that power. It just… happened."

The two of them looked at me. At this point, I'm sure they were convinced that I was just freakin' crazy.

I finally decided to question them about the situation.

"Hey, Captain Toad," I began, "are you aware of that event where every human girl had to attend an interview to become the next princess?"

They continued their dazed looks. "Yeah, that thing ended a really long time ago," Green Toad answered.

I grew more worried. "How long do you mean?"

Captain Toad said, "Oh, about thirty years."

"WHAT?! THIRTY YEARS?!" I was yelling so loud, my voice seemed to echo throughout the whole kingdom.

No, this has to be some kind of mistake. How could I suddenly wake up thirty years in the future?! I couldn't have been in a coma long enough for people not to notice me in that forest! But, what other way was there?

And what about Rose and Malcolm?! Were they okay as well?!

This is just horrible. I prayed that this was all just a dream, that I was still lying in that ditch I fell in. I'd very much rather be back in the dark, dark forest with that voice following me than being here. And that's saying a lot.

"Krista, calm down!" They both said at the same time.

I glared at them furiously. "How the hell am I able to calm down?! I am literally thirty years from my own goddamn time period!" I continued to rant, swearing like a sailor.

This is all wrong…

A red aura enveloped me, as I broke down into tears. The two Toads tried to comfort me.

"Krista, don't worry. I'm sure you'll find a way back into your own time," Captain Toad said, patting my back. Green Toad added, "Yeah, don't lose hope yet! Anything is possible as long as you don't give up!"

_"Don't cry Krista. It's going to be alright.."_

_Mother…_

I wiped the tears from my face, and then stood back to my feet. "You're right. I can't just stay here and cry about it, because that's not gonna do anything. I'm going to find a way back to my time if it's the last thing I do!"

The Toads started cheering for me. "Yeah! That's the spirit!"

A flock of robins flew over us, turning our heads to the castle in the distance.

"Well, we're not that far from Toad Town, let's keep going."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, longest chapter yet! I think I went a little overboard with this one, guys.<strong>

**But, yeah, I was really looking forward to writing that plot twist. Now, things are gettin' serious!**

**Also, in case you were wondering, the Toad Town in this series is the one in Mario Galaxy, just wanted to clear any confusion.**

**Be looking out for my next chapter, everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6: A New Threat

"Well, we're finally here," Captain Toad exclaimed as we entered the gate to Toad Town.

Surprisingly, the town didn't seem all that different. It was certainly more lively with all the Toads running around, and I did notice a few more buildings than before. But, other than that, not much has changed in the past thirty years. It still remained a quaint and peaceful little town.

"Let's hurry, the other brigade members should be down in the plaza." Green Toad pointed towards the plaza.

We walked down the street, and I suddenly had another question on my mind.

"Hey Captain Toad, who's the princess now?"

"Oh, the princess is a girl named Peach, and she's the nicest and most awesome ruler ever!" Captain Toad beamed.

Green Toad added, "Yeah, she's the younger sister of the princess before her."

Curious, I asked, "Who ruled before her?" Captain Toad thought a moment. "Hmm, I forgot the name. I think it was—"

"Hey guys, look! Red Toad and Green Toad are back!" Our attention drew to the three Toads gathered in the plaza.

"Guys, I told you to stop calling me Red Toad!" Captain Toad shouted.

"Calm down, Red Toad." Green Toad snickered.

The rest of the Toad Brigade consisted of a blue Toad wearing black circular glasses, a purple Toad with a mailbag, and a yellow Toad who was sleeping on the bench.

"Where were you guys? You were supposed to come back when your expedition was over!" the blue Toad scolded.

Captain Toad scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, we were gonna come back here, but then we found this girl right here. She was hurt, so we wanted to help her."

I smiled and decided to introduce myself. "I'm Krista. It's really nice to meet you all, and I am beyond thankful that your comrades saved me."

The blue Toad walked up to me and shook my hand. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Blue Toad."

The purple Toad chimed in. "And I'm Mailtoad, but you can just call me Purple Toad."

Green Toad smirked at Captain Toad. "See, Red Toad? Purple Toad doesn't mind if we call him by HIS color.."

Captain Toad groaned as the yellow Toad started to wake up. "Oh hey, you're back!"

Captain Toad responded, "Yep, and we brought a friend along too!"

"Hi, my name is Krista. I don't need to know your name, Yellow Toad."

Yellow Toad blushed a little bit. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Krista."

"Oh, hello, Captain Toad!" Everyone turned to see a blonde-haired girl wearing a pink dress with a blue jewel on the abdomen. She was joined by a brown old-looking Toad with a white mustache wearing a purple vest that had golden buttons on it.

_Wait, he looks kinda familiar._

"Hey, guys! We're back!" Captain Toad and Green Toad ran to them.

"Good day to you, Captain. I trust your exploration mission went well?" The brown Toad greeted.

"Yes it did, but we did come across a few Goombas on our path," Green Toad responded. The princess put her hand on her forehead. "Oh dear."

Captain Toad beamed, "But that's not even the best part! We came across this girl in the forest."

The elder Toad seemed to be pushed back upon seeing me. "It… it can't be!"

The princess looked a little concerned. "Toadsworth, what's wrong?"

_Toadsworth! Of course, he's the one who interviewed me!_

"I saw you thirty years ago! But.. you haven't even changed at all!"

The princess turned to me. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

"Yes, Peach. I do know."

"What?! How do you know my name?!" She asked, bewildered.

"Captain Toad told me earlier," I replied.

Peach continued to stare at me, growing more suspicious. "Just who are you?"

I hesitated before answering. "Krista."

This, too, seemed to shock her. "Krista? I've heard that name before. My sister told me about you!"

"Was your sister named Rose by any chance?"

Peach nodded. "She told me that you mysteriously vanished. But, how are you here now?!" She turned back to Toadsworth. "What did you mean by her not looking different?"

Toadsworth was dazed, but he managed to stay calm. "I interviewed her long ago, and she still looks the same as she did then."

The other Toads looked really confused. "What are they talking about, Krista?"

I thought for a minute. "I think I'd rather tell you guys in private."

Peach and Toadsworth looked at each other. "Alright, let's go into the castle where no one will bother us," Peach said.

Toadsworth nodded in agreement. "Good idea, princess. It would cause too much commotion in a public place like this."

The rest of the Toads shouted as we made our way to the castle. "Hey, what about us?!"

I turned around for a brief moment. "Just have Captain Toad tell you!"

After that, we went into the castle to discuss everything.

* * *

><p>We were in the castle lobby, and I was sitting on the staircase, mainly because I've been walking so much.<p>

"So, you actually came from thirty years in the past?" Peach asked after I told them all that happened.

I mentioned everything that was worth mentioning, including that night when I fell into that hole. I still didn't mention that voice, though. I decided to save that for later.

"I must say, that story sounds a little farfetched. But I guess it's the only explanation, is it not?" Toadsworth commented.

I was pretty satisfied, I thought they weren't gonna believe me at first. "I don't see any other way. However, the only question remaining is how I got here in the first place. I don't think I was in a coma, because there's no way in hell people wouldn't go thirty years without at least noticing me in the forest."

We grew quiet for a moment, trying to find the answer to this mystery.

"Maybe we can try figuring that out later. Don't want to exhaust our brains, now do we?" Toadsworth declared.

I sighed before saying, "Yeah, I guess."

That's when another subject came to mind.

"Hey, Peach, are Rose and Malcolm still around?"

Peach had a grim look on her face. "I… I'm afraid not, Krista."

"Really? Where are they?"

A single tear ran down her face. "Rose and Malcolm… are both dead."

_Now, how did I not figure that out when I didn't see them in the town?!_

"What happened to them?"

Peach could tell that I was determined to know this. "Well, they were both killed around the same time, when I was really little."

I started to get more angry as this went on. "By who?"

She was about to respond when someone burst through the castle doors. A light-blue toad wearing a shirt with a yellow tie and large oval glasses.

"Huff..huff…Princess! Toadsworth! I've got some bad news!"

"Toadbert? What is it? Speak up, man!" Toadworth yelled.

Toadbert spoke urgently, "An Airship was sighted outside of Toad Town! It looks like it's ready to attack, by boogity!"

"WHAT?!" Toadsworth screamed.

Unlike Toadsworth, Peach and I seemed cool and collected about this. "How big was it?"

Toadbert responded, "Oh, it was definitely big enough to be Bowser's Airship, alright."

"Huh? Who's Bowser?" I asked. "Bowser is the dreaded King of the Koopas! I bet he's here to kidnap the princess again…" Toadsworth said.

I was still a little confused about this. "Again? This has happened before?"

Peach slightly joked, "Just about every week."

I looked at Peach and raised an eyebrow. "Well, no wonder you're so calm."

Toadsworth started pointing towards the door. "Enough chatter! We need to do something about this! Toadbert, order the troops to start attacking at once!"

"Yes sir!" Toadbert then headed out the door.

"Krista, we're going out there too. You might wanna stay behind us," Peach said.

"Um, alright," I said nervously. "Oh, don't worry, Krista. It'll be fine," she reassured me.

We walked out of the castle, and the Toad army was getting ready to fight. Toadbert had already ordered everyone to evacuate into their homes. The Airship drew closer to the town, but it didn't really start attacking or anything.

"What's it doing? Does it normally do stuff like this?" I asked.

Captain Toad was nearby. "No, it usually starts deploying some Koopas or something. I dunno what it's doing now."

The Airship suddenly came to a stop, and the Toads readied their spears.

On top of the Airship was a large, imposing Koopa with spikes on his shell.

"Hello, princess."

Peach looked at him with an annoyed look on her face. "What do you want, Bowser?"

Captain Toad started shouting, "Don't play all friendly with us, Bowser! We know you're here to nab the princess again!"

Bowser sneered at him, prompting him to hide behind me again.

"You're right about that. However, that's not my priority," he said, earning looks from everyone. "What ARE you here for? And what made you think it was a good idea to leave your minions out of it?" Toadsworth asked.

"I came for another girl, the one who managed to take out a bunch of my Goomba minions in one clean shot in the woods not too long ago."

_Oh shit, he's talking about me._

"I know she's here with you, Peach. Now tell me where she is or I'll blow this town to bits!" He threatened.

Peach remained calm, but my body became shaky. "Only if you tell me what you want her for!" Peach demanded.

I decided to do something instead of standing there. "Peach, you don't have to say anything," I whispered. She whispered back, "What do you mean?"

I stood before Bowser. "I am the girl you're looking for!"

Everyone looked at each other. They must have thought that I was either ridiculously brave, or just really stupid.

Bowser had an evil grin on his face. "I see. Now, I demand to know, what IS the source of your power?"

I was still a little shaky, but I managed not to break eye contact. "I refuse to tell you!"

Bowser started frowning. "Why is that?"

"Because, I myself don't even know."

Bowser raised his voice to the point where his voice started echoing. "What kind of excuse is that?! If you don't tell me, I will burn you to the stake!"

"Never!"

He growled angrily. "Alright, maybe THIS will make you talk!"

Without warning, he jumped out of his Airship, and started to charge towards me while everyone else started panicking.

My hands started glowing, so I readied myself for another attack.

But then, I started remembering what Malcolm told me…

_Do you realize what could happen if the king of the Koopas, or any other evil outsiders for that matter, realized that our own princess had incredible power such as Rose's? Another war could be waged. An endless cycle of innocents dying left and right. So much blood would be shed over one girl._

"Krista, look out!"

Before Bowser could even touch me, a huge blast of blue aura sent him flying. He landed with a loud crash.

Everyone stared in disbelief, as Bowser weakly got up.

_Well, I guess that little stunt made me a huge target._

"So, I guess you do have a way of defending yourself," Bowser sneered maliciously.

I stood still, scared out of my mind. He's really gonna have it out for me now…

"If you think you're so strong, then why don't you fight me?" Again, everyone looked at him.

"F-fight you?" I stuttered.

Peach yelled at Bowser. "Come on, leave her alone! She's already going through so much!"

Bowser paid no attention to her plea. "I want you to come fight me at Mushroom Plains in an hour, and bring no one else! If you don't, I'll make sure this town is burned to the ground!"

Bowser went back into his Airship and flew away before anyone could protest. The whole town stared, not realizing what had happened.

"This is really strange. Bowser never challenged anyone to a one-on-one duel, not even Mario," Peach said. Captain Toad noticed me still shaking. "Hey, you alright there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered.

Everyone continued to stare without saying anything.

"Bowser said for me to fight him at Mushroom Plains, right?" They all turned to me. "Yes, why?" Toadsworth asked. "Good, cause' that's where I'm heading next."

I started walking away, but Peach took my hand and tried to pull me back. "No, Krista, don't do it!"

Captain Toad joined in trying to convince me not to go. "Seriously, there's no way that guy would fight a fair duel!"

"Lady Krista, I advise you let Master Mario fight him in your stead," Toadsworth added.

"Yeah, let him do it! He's dealt with him countless times! I'm sure it'd make more sense, right?" Captain Toad spoke rapidly.

I knew everyone was worried about me, but I also knew that if I don't go to fight him, he would attack the town again.

Besides, since I was the sole reason that Bowser came here in the first place, well, partially anyway, I felt like I should straighten this whole thing out myself. Whatever it was, I had this feeling that I could really take him on with this newfound power.

"…Thank you for your concern. But I can handle myself," I proclaimed.

"Are you sure, Krista?"

"Yes, Peach. I'll be fine."

She stared for a moment before finally agreeing. "Alright, good luck."

I nodded, and started making my way to the Mushroom Plains.

Everyone wished me good luck as I exited the town without turning back.


	7. Chapter 7: A Bloody Battle

The area was a wide-open meadow with tons of space to run around. A fitting battle arena, I must say. I looked around to see if Bowser was anywhere.

_That's odd, he's not here yet._

I decided to look at the sky a little bit before he showed up. After all, these could've been my last moments. The late-noon sun shone on my face, hurting my eyes a little bit. Everything seemed strangely quiet, though. There were no clouds in the sky, no wind, and no birds chirping.

_Huh, I'm getting some weird déjà vu._

I knew I couldn't relax myself, I had to stay alert. Bowser could attack me any second. As this battle drew nigh, I started becoming unsure of whether or not I could handle it. Had I not attacked him earlier, he probably would've captured me and took me to his castle.

_Now that I think about it, that probably would've been the better option._

I didn't have much time to think about it though, as a giant fireball flew in my direction.

I managed to deflect it, bouncing it back at the source. Sure enough, it was Bowser, riding in some sort of white and green aircraft with a creepy smile on it.

He jumped out of the aircraft and landed before me.

"Well, I was hoping you'd show up," he smirked.

I was terrified, but, nevertheless, I was prepared. I still had a lot of questions for the tyrannical king. "Why are you so interested in me, Bowser?"

Bowser began to explain. "Well, one of the Goombas that survived your attack told me of you. He said that you were very annoying, for one, but also that you packed quite a punch."

"Yeah, I know that," I said, cockily.

"Battling you is not the only reason I invited you here. I have another option for you."

I turned shaky again. "Ok, I'm listening."

"I, too, was pretty blown away by…whatever you did back there. It gave me an idea. Maybe, you can join me, and I won't have to harm you. If you fight alongside my army, then we will be unstoppable!"

What was I listening to? Why is he offering this? Whatever the reason, I wasn't gonna lay back and accept it.

"Why do you want me to help your army?" I asked. "Do you really think I'm gonna join your army, when the Koopa King before you was my father's murderer?!"

Bowser growled. "Whaddya you know about my father?!"

"I know that he killed MY father! Isn't that what I just said?!" I hissed. My body glowed red as my blood started to boil. "My father fought in that war long ago, and fought the Koopa King himself. I was just a child back then, but the sadness and rage I felt when I learned about his death hasn't left me since.."

Bowser frowned. "I don't buy this. That war was more than two decades ago! How can a kid like you have been alive by then?!"

_Right, nearly forgot about that._

"I figured you wouldn't. I'm not in my own time. But that fact isn't important. My father did what he did to protect this kingdom. I'll admit, I never thought I'd find myself face-to-face with the Koopa King like my father, but if I have to follow in his footsteps to fight said King, then so help me I'll do it!"

"So, that's how it's going to be," Bowser sneered. "Very well, then. I'll show YOU true pain!"

He charged at me, prompting me to jump in the air and strike from behind him.

He flew into a huge rock, and upon the crash, created a field of dust. From the dust emerged multiple fireballs. I tried avoiding them, but one of them ended up hitting me directly.

Somehow I was still standing, and my body wasn't burned to a crisp. I assumed these newfound powers give me extra endurance or something like that.

Bowser jumped out of the dust, and attempted to body-slam me. I got out of the way at the last second, but he quickly got up and punched me in the stomach. For such a large Koopa, he moved surprisingly fast.

After I caught my breath, Bowser ran towards me and grabbed me by the collar of my dress. I struggled to get out, but he threw me off a nearby cliff.

I got up, surprised to see I was still alive.

_Ok, Krista, get it together._

Bowser jumped from above me, and I created a shield over my head using my powers. He bounced off the shield, and it managed to damage him pretty good.

Now that he was off his guard, I started rapidly blasting little energy orbs at him, hitting him with every single one.

I was really shocked to see how well I was handling this power._ I'm learning pretty quick!_

But, to be honest, I was starting to have a little too much fun with it…

Bowser gruffly got back up again, exhausted.

"Well? Have you had enough yet?"

He continued panting. Not sure why, but he looked like he was ready for more. "I have to say, you're not as bad as I expected," he said.

"Why, thank you," I replied.

But then he grinned. "This fight isn't over yet, though. KAMMY!"

"Kammy? Who's that?!"

An old-looking Magikoopa wearing purple robes appeared out of the blue. "Yes, your Lordliness?"

"Power me up so I can take this brat out!" Bowser commanded.

"Sure thing!" She then preceded to wave her wand over him, and released a bunch of circles, squares, and triangles that circled around Bowser, giving him more power.

Bowser started to laugh evilly. "YEAH! I feel great!"

"Good luck on teaching this little wench a lesson!" Kammy exclaimed as she vanished into the sky.

_Damn! I knew it couldn't be that easy!_

"Now, where was I? Oh, I rememeber!"

I tried to back away from him, but he came at me at a blinding speed, striking me with his sharp claws repeatedly. I screamed out of pain, as more blood spilled from my body with every hit.

I struggled to escape his endless barrage of attacks, but to no avail. He hit me with punch after punch, and fireball after fireball.

Standing still, I summoned more energy and hit Bowser with it.

It didn't do anything.

I fell to the ground, unable to move.

The evil king cackled. "Well, that went by pretty smoothly!"

I didn't bother responding. I knew that he had won.

"Well, time to finish you off! Don't worry, I'll make this quick and painless."

He charged another breath of fire from his gaping mouth. It grew larger, and larger, until finally, he released it towards me.

As I looked at the blinding fireball, tears and sweat started to pour down my face, as well as more blood. My life started to flash before my eyes. I knew... that this was the end…

Closing my eyes, I accepted defeat and braced myself for the oncoming ball of fire.

…

…

_Hmm? What happened?_

My eyes started to widen a little bit. I'm… still alive? And the fireball just seemed to vanish into thin air.

I started to sit up, much to Bowser's shock and frustration.

"RRGH! How the hell are you still alive?!" He roared loudly.

"You have ME to thank for that, Bowser!" Another voice called from nowhere.

Suddenly, someone jumped in front of me, defending me.

A mustachioed man with an abnormally large nose wearing a red shirt, overalls, brown shoes, and a red cap with an 'M' embroided on it, stood between me and Bowser.

"MARIO?! WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!" Bowser bellowed furiously.

My eyes grew larger when I heard the name. "Princess Peach sent me here," he answered with a smirk.

"Wait, you're Mario..?" I asked with a weak voice.

He turned to me. "Don't worry, I'm here to help you."

I don't know why, but I felt so relieved that he came. Something about him made me feel.. safe and reassured, even though Bowser was right there in front of us. I somehow knew that I would be alright.

Bowser growled, "Well, I don't care whether you know this girl or not, but you're going down!"

Mario shook his fist. "Bring it on!"

Mario shot fireballs out of his hand, blasting them in Bowser's direction. Bowser, still exhausted, couldn't dodge all of them. I stared in amazement as he attacked him relentlessly, not showing any signs of stopping.

"Dammit, HOW ARE YOU SO STRONG?!" Bowser shouted as he struggled to fight back.

I didn't get why he seemed weaker than he did a minute ago, before he shot that huge fireball. Maybe it used up the rest the energy that Kammy gave him.

_I guess Mario's lucky that I softened him up._

The battle raged on for at least ten minutes, before Bowser was finally defeated.

Mario approached him to finish him off.

"Mario…why must you always foil my plans?!" Bowser roared.

Mario frowned at him. "A better question, what did this girl do to you to deserve to be beaten to death?!"

"Because…" Bowser began. "She's a threat to me and my army!"

"I was only defending myself, Bowser," I said as I stood back up. "You're the one who attacked me first, then decided to fight me here. I would hardly say that's my fault." There was a somewhat worried tone in my voice, as the bleeding hasn't really stopped yet. And I thought Bowser was gonna attack me again for that remark.

Bowser looked at me, enraged. "You little bitch! I will DESTROY you once I-"

"Quiet, you!" Mario yelled as he shot yet another fireball at him.

Mario preceded to grab him by his tail and swung him around in circles. Then he let go, releasing him tons of feet away.

"DAMN YOU MARIO! DAMN YOU TO HELL!"

* * *

><p>We looked up in the direction that he threw him in, making sure he wouldn't make a comeback. After a while, Mario sighed and said, "I guess that's the end of that."<p>

I looked at the faint sunset, happy that this was all over.

But then I fell to my knees, vomiting blood.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Mario yelled.

I started breathing heavily, and my heart rate suddenly increased. It seemed like my entire body was finally giving in to the damaged caused by Bowser.

"Hang in there, you'll be okay!" he reassured.

I looked at him, tears streaming down my face.

He looked a little worried, but tried really hard to stay calm as he helped me up. "I'll take you back to the castle and get some help!"

"O-ok.."

I tried to get back to my feet, but failed. I coughed up more blood, and then collapsed on the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, to be honest, I got a little carried away with the cursing in this one, mostly from Bowser. But, hey, if I was put in his position, I'd be swearing my mouth off XD<strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Recovering

I slowly opened my eyes to see myself in a pink bed, but I had no scratches on me. I sat up and saw Peach on her knees, and her folded arms rested on the bed with her head buried in them.

I shook her awake, and she accidently fell back on the floor.

"Oops, sorry about that!" I apologized, laughing.

Peach also started to giggle a little bit. "Oh, it's fine."

I got out from under the covers, and Peach sat by my side. "How did you sleep?"

"Well, I'm glad I'm not dead." This prompted me and her to start laughing again.

I suddenly stopped. "Wait, how long was I out?"

"You were only unconscious overnight. Mario brought you in here after you passed out, and I healed your injuries. Had I not done so sooner, you probably would have bled to death."

I let out a big sigh of relief. "I really thought I was done for…"

"Well, now at least you don't have anything to worry about. Bowser shouldn't be attacking for a while after what happened yesterday," Peach said, smiling.

I slightly chuckled. "Hey, Peach, since we got caught up in all that madness, and didn't have a chance to talk about the past thirty years, I guess now would be a good time."

Peach seemed to agree. "Yeah, I'm sure you have a lot of questions on your mind."

"Well, I do already know that Rose was the princess for a while, but what about Malcolm? What did he do?"

"Oh, he actually ended up marrying Rose and becoming the king!"

"Huh?! How did THAT happen?!" I interrupted. That was probably one of the weirdest things I've ever heard anyone say. There's really no way Rose would've fallen for Malcolm enough to the point where she wanted to marry him.

Plus, she totally stole my idea…

"I guess they started to hang out more after you vanished, and grew to really like each other."

I snickered at the thought of how many arguments they must've had as husband and wife.

Peach spaced out for a second with a sad look on her face. "I guess you're also wondering about how they died, huh?"

I turned back at her. "How?"

"Well, long ago, about ten years after you disappeared, an alien race known as the Shroobs attacked our kingdom. Their princess attempted to overthrow it. Malcolm was killed while trying to fight them off, and Rose died after being infected by them."

Everything Peach was telling me suddenly became more farfetched than what I'VE been going through. But, judging by the serious look on her face, I could tell she wasn't lying.

"Toadsworth and I weren't the only one who went through a lot of grief, however. Mario and Luigi's parents were also killed at that time."

I looked at her, confused. "Who's Luigi?"

"Oh, he's Mario's younger twin brother. Did no one tell you about him?"

"No," I mumbled, shrugging.

"Well, I guess that's what happens when the author gets too lazy to explain major characters. But he doesn't get much recognition anyway," Peach said.

"But, we all went through so much during that time. I still feel like it was yesterday when those Shroobs suddenly attacked out of nowhere..."

"Man, it seems like everyone went through a terrifying, life-changing experience at one point," I remarked. "How did you and the others manage through it all?"

"Oh, it wasn't easy. Even after the invasion was over, I still had to deal with the fact that Rose was gone and I had the responsibility of being the princess. That's why Toadsworth is so concerned about me all the time. That, and I'm not so good about looking after myself."

"Is that why you get kidnapped a lot?" I joked.

Peach laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

We didn't really say much after that. "Well, I'm glad we had this discussion, but think I'm gonna head out. Gotta clear up my mind for a bit."

"Ok, that's probably the best thing to do," Peach said as I walked out the door.

* * *

><p>The sun had just rose over Toad Town, enveloping it with a yellowish-orange light. The air was cold, even for an early morning. I walked over to the plaza and sat on the same bench I did while waiting for Rose that one morning.<p>

So much has happened in the past few days, or should I say, thirty years, that I completely forgot about everything that was going on in my life prior to falling in that hole. I expected Rose or Malcolm to come and greet me now that I was here, like they did every morning. I was waiting in vain for Rose to run over to me and give me a friendly hug, and then for Malcolm to come out and say hello, tease Rose a little bit, and then Rose would accuse him of "spying", maybe slap him, and then I'd just stand there and laugh while they bickered at each other for another five minutes.

But I knew they wouldn't come. They were both dead.

It was such a surreal feeling. The peaceful atmosphere was the same as before. The faint light over the kingdom, the morning songbirds gleefully chirping, and the nice, cool air. Only my two friends were missing, and it left me feeling hollow and empty inside.

_I know I can get back to my own time period. I'll see Rose and Malcolm again eventually._

I stared at the ground for a long time, reflecting on recent events. The night in the woods when that voice was following me everywhere, meeting Captain Toad in Goomba Village, the revelation that I'm in the future, meeting the princess, my encounter with the Koopa King himself, and when Mario saved me from certain death.

Needless to say, it was a lot to take in at once. It all happened so suddenly, and my life seemed turned upside down for eternity.

The fact that I'm possibly a huge target for the Koopa army made it all the more stressful.

After what seemed like hours, I looked up at the sky again. The sun was now directly above the castle, lighting up the entire town. The ripples in the lake behind me started to move sporadically as the wind picked up.

That's when something else caught my eye. A green figure who looked kind of like Mario stood at the raised piece of land that was at the top of the street. His head was leaning on his left hand as he stared at the castle. He just so happened to be the only one out in the town, somehow.

I ran over to where he was standing, but he didn't seem to notice me. "Hello?"

"Huh—WAAHH!" He jumped at the loud sound of my voice, nearly falling over the fence and straight into the lake. I started to laugh at his clumsiness.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

He had the same appearance and same clothes as Mario, except he looked taller, had green clothes instead of red, and had an 'L' on his cap.

He tried to shake it off like nothing even happened. "Um, don't worry about it, it was nothing."

"You're Luigi, right?" I asked.

"Well, um, yes, I am. I'm, uh...flattered you know who I am." Luigi stammered and chuckled nervously as his cheeks started to turn red.

_Truth is, I only heard of him, like, five minutes ago._

"Come on, Weegie, why do always have to be so nervous around girls?"

I heard a familiar voice from behind me. Sure enough, it was Mario. Luigi continued blushing as he groaned at his brother.

"I'm glad to see you're alright, Krista," he greeted.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" I asked.

And then I remembered, Mario did mention that Peach told him to go to Mushroom Plains when I was fighting Bowser.

"Peach told us everything about you and how you got here," Luigi replied.

"She did? When?"

* * *

><p><strong>(Flashback to yesterday, Mario's POV)<strong>

It was a slow day in the kingdom, like it has been for the past several months. Bowser hasn't attacked Toad Town or captured the princess in a really long time. While some of us were happy to be able to relax, especially after the last invasion from the Koopas, as time went on, we started to become more suspicious. Well, I did at least. My brother didn't seem to pay much attention, but he soon caught on to the fact that Bowser must have been planning something huge.

The only other thing that's been bothering me lately, however, is this nightmare I keep having. Nothing much happens, except some sort of dark figure who looks just like me keeps attacking me for no apparent reason. He never said a word, though. He moved like me, fought like me, but his skills somehow seemed superior to mine.

I try not to let it bug me, but it just kept returning over and over to the point where I can't get it out of my mind.

I was sitting outside of my house, trying to get that dream out of my head while looking down on the ground.

That's when Luigi came bursting through the door in a panic.

"Mario! I just saw Parakarry out the window flying towards here really fast!"

"Huh? Why?" I looked up in the sky and noticed what he was talking about.

He looked really frantic flying here, which probably meant he had some bad news.

Once he got here, he fell to the ground, panting. Luigi and I ran up to him to see what was wrong.

"Mario! Luigi! I was on my way to deliver some mail, but then I saw HUGE Airship headed for Peach's castle!"

"What?!" I looked at the castle in the distance, but there was no Airship or anything there.

"Oh, no, they probably already captured the princess already," Luigi stated.

"Gee, ya think?" I said sarcastically.

"Parakarry, where did the Airship head to?" Luigi asked the exhausted Paratrooper.

"I don't know, I was too distracted because I was in such a hurry, but there's no doubt the Airship went back to Bowser's kingdom."

It seemed odd that there wasn't much noise coming from Toad Town, like there usually is. Maybe that's why Luigi and I didn't notice it earlier.

"Well, before we go to Bowser's kingdom to rescue the princess, we should head to Toad Town and see what's up," I suggested.

Luigi nodded. "I agree, this is a little weird."

"Alright, you guys, good luck!" Parakarry exclaimed, giving us a thumbs up.

* * *

><p>When we got to Toad Town, it was just what we suspected. No buildings were destroyed, nobody was panicking, and everyone was acting like nothing happened at all. We did hear some worried mumbles among the citizens, but, other than that, it didn't seem very serious.<p>

"I really hope this isn't some sort of expertly crafted prank everyone set up," Luigi said.

"If it is, I'm probably gonna punch Parakarry in the face the next time he comes to deliver our mail," I mumbled under my breath.

Luigi and I made our way to the plaza, and, to our surprise, Peach, Toadsworth, and the Toad Brigade were all gathered there.

"Peach! Toadsworth!"

Everyone looked in our direction, and looked happy to see us.

"Mario! Luigi! Thank goodness you're here!" Peach exclaimed. Everyone looked really distressed, especially the princess.

"Did something happen?" Luigi asked.

"Oh, Master Mario, it's horrible! That poor girl doesn't know what she's getting herself into!" Toadsworth shouted in despair.

"Um, Toadsworth, I don't think they know what we're talking about." Blue Toad said, facepalming.

He's right, we had absolutely no idea what they were speaking of.

Toadsworth cleared his throat. "Um, yes. Captain Toad, I'm sure you'd like to explain the situation to our heroes."

"Alright, I'll start from the beginning!" Captain Toad beamed. "So, one day, Princess Peach ordered me and Green Toad to go on an expedition and make sure that—"

"Captain, I think we should just skip to the part where we found Krista. Nobody wants to hear about the whole mission," Green Toad interrupted. Captain Toad glared at him before continuing.

"So, we were in the woods, when we found this girl named Krista lying in a ditch. We wanted to help her because she was injured, but luckily, Goomba Village was nearby, so we decided to stay there until she woke up. After she did, we started making our way here, but then we came across some evil Goombas, and Krista fought them off using some AMAZING power she never knew she had!" Captain Toad talked so rapidly that we didn't understand what he was saying.

"Unfortunately, when we got here, Bowser came and demanded to know more about her, while also threatening to kidnap the princess if we didn't give her up, but then he attacked her, and failed. THEN he challenged her to a fight at Mushroom Plains, which is where they're currently at!"

"What? She's fighting Bowser right now?!" I yelled.

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Peach responded with a worried look on her face.

"Wait, there's more where that came from. Krista also claims to be from somewhere in the past," Green Toad said.

Luigi and I looked at him weird. "Are you guys sure you're not just making stuff up?"

"But it's true!" Purple Toad shouted. "Thirty years to be exact."

"She used to be friends with my sister Rose, who told me that she mysteriously vanished one day and never came back. Toadsworth also interviewed her a while before she disappeared. But now she's here, and she hasn't even aged at all," Peach explained.

"This is making my head hurt," Luigi moaned, trying to comprehend what was going on.

I, too, tried to wrap my head around this. Not just the fact that that whoever they were talking about came from thirty years ago, but also that Bowser wanted to fight this random girl he just heard about...

_Ugh, leave it to Bowser to do something as ridiculous as that._

"Anyway, Mario, you have to do something about this! Krista could be badly hurt by now!" Peach pleaded.

I didn't take a step back to make the decision to fight him myself. "Hey, if that girl is in danger, then I'll help her!"

Luigi pulled me back for a second. "What about me, bro?"

"Come on, now, you know I can handle this. Besides, you should stay here and protect the town in case something else happens."

He sighed and said, "I guess you're right. Who knows if Bowser's henchmen might suddenly attack?"

I started to walk out of the town with everyone wishing me good luck.

* * *

><p><strong>(End of flashback, Krista's POV)<strong>

"…And you probably already know what happened after that," Mario said after he got done explaining everything.

"Oh, ok," I muttered in response.

"Well, Mario, I never got a chance to thank you for before, so, um... thanks. And I'm sorry I dragged you into that, I acted a little rash when I decided to accept Bowser's challenge."

Mario smiled. "You don't need to apologize. I've had to deal with much worse."

"Really?"

"Yeah, me and him have been doing this kind of stuff for well over ten years," Luigi responded.

_Woah. I could learn from these guys…_

"But, I do have one more thing to ask." Mario rolled his eyes.

"And what's that?" I nervously looked at him.

"Why did you agree to fight Bowser?"

I stuttered for a moment before I could answer that. "I don't even know. I just got scared. Plus, he said he was gonna burn the town or something like that, and I couldn't risk that happening!"

"Wow, he must have been really determined to know about your powers," Luigi remarked.

"Yeah, about that. I don't know where the hell I got them in the first place. I was trying to defend myself from a bunch of Goombas, and then next thing I know, they're flying all over the forest because of me."

Mario and Luigi looked at each other, as if they were trying to figure this whole thing out.

"Ok, so you just fell into a ditch and woke up in the future. Is that right?" Mario questioned.

"Yes! At least, I hope so. I don't know, this is so confusing!"

"Good, cause I've got nothing."

This was hopeless. We were never gonna find the answer to this mess.

Finally, Mario came up with another question. "Do you recall anything strange or suspicious happening before you fell?"

_That voice… I shouldn't tell them, should I? They might not believe me. I've been keeping it a secret for so long that it might not seem true to anyone at this point. But at the same time, it might lead to a conclusion of how I got here…_

"Krista!"

I snapped out of my daze. "Um, yes, something DID happen," I answered.

"One night, in the woods, I fell asleep near a lake. When I woke up, I tried to find my way back, but it was completely dark. After wandering aimlessly for a few hours, I heard this voice cackling. At first, I thought I was imagining things. Then it got louder and scarier, and I sort of thought I was losing it. But then, the voice started talking to me. There was no one in sight, but regardless, I tried to run away from it. I got attacked by ravens and got scratched up by tree branches, which finally led to me falling into that hole."

At first, I expected them to start laughing at me and calling me insane. But instead, they actually seemed like they bought it.

"What did that voice sound like?" Luigi asked.

"I don't know. It sounded like… some sort of woman. A sinister, evil sounding woman with a really deep tone. Do you know about anyone like that?"

_Come on, that has to be someone they know about…_

"No, I don't think so," Mario replied, scratching his head.

"Goddammit! This really IS hopeless!" I whined, slapping my forehead.

"Well, there are a lot of people around here that can help you out, so don't lose hope just yet," Mario assured.

"He's right, I'm sure we'll figure this out eventually," Luigi added.

I sort of ignored them as my eyes started to water a little bit. Mostly because all the pressure of being hunted by Bowser started coming back to me. The thought of never being able to see my friends again also haunted me.

"Hey, don't cry," Mario said as he put his hand on my shoulder. "I know this is really hard for you, but you should know that you can always count on us."

I looked at them as more tears rolled down my face. "Really?"

"Yeah, you won't have to worry about a thing!" Luigi proudly shouted.

My heart suddenly became warm from their kind words.

I picked myself back up again. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>My worries seemed to vanish after that, and I started to feel a lot better. It's almost like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I had gone through so much horrific stuff in the past couple of days, and I knew that I was already a target for the Koopa army, but it didn't seem that scary now that I was reminded of the friends that I've made already.<p>

I spent the rest of the day trying to contemplate the situation and what I was going to do about it. But I also found time to relax a little bit. I conversed happily with some of the other residents, and I did manage to find an abandoned old house to sleep in. There were no signs that Bowser was going to exact his revenge on me anytime soon. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, everything seemed perfect.

Later that night, I went out of my house and walked over to the plaza to look at the stars. I thought that if I went back into the woods, I would somehow end up sixty years in the future, so I didn't dare to.

My head hung back as I looked at the sky. The moon shined down on the lake and the stars lit up the whole town. I still thought about the Star Spirits and that they still might be watching over the kingdom. And maybe they were with me this whole time.

I was feeling so happy right now, even though I was in a stressful state. I was still thinking about everything that happened, and the thought occurred to me, that, maybe that battle with Bowser was but a taste of the things I would experience here. I knew that, on my quest to get back to my time period, that I would have to fight more battles, make more friends and enemies, and perhaps grow even stronger.

I went back to my house with these final thoughts.

_I've got one heck of an adventure ahead._

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, I think I'll stop there for now, because I'm not sure where the story will pick up. I might just label this as complete and make another story continuing it. <strong>

**But, yeah, I think this turned out pretty good for my first fanfic, and I'm definitely looking forward to writing more. For now, I'll just focus on my Pokemon story. Alright, enough blabbity blab, I gotta end this on an epic cliffhanger.**

**What new adventures lie in store for our heroine?**

**Will Bowser make a comeback?**

**And will Krista find the answer to this mystery of how she got in the future?!**

**Find out when this story continues!**


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